England’s players celebrate scoring against Norway during the World Cup in June 2015.
Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

England are officially among the world’s top four women’s sides for the first time, after moving up to fourth in the latest Fifa world rankings.

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Mark Sampson’s team, who finished third at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, have overtaken Japan who drop to seventh, while Australia and Sweden climb into the top six. The USA remain top of the rankings, a position they have occupied since winning the World Cup last year.

Sampson said on Twitter: “Ranked 11 when we started our journey now @england Women highest ever @FIFAcom World Ranking. Proud of the #Lionesses.”

The team had a taste of the challenge ahead to climb the rankings, when they played the three teams above them – the USA, Germany and France – in the SheBelieves Cup earlier this month. The Lionesses drew with France but lost their two other games.

England have two Euro 2017 qualifying matches next month. They face Belgium in Rotherham on 8 April before travelling to Zenica to play Bosnia-Herzegovina.